Barbarian
| artist = William O'Connor | variants = Berserker }} “My strength is the fury of the wild.” Barbarian is a class in 4th edition ''published in ''Player's Handbook 2, ''and they were introduced in issue 308 of the Dragon Magazine (see Development section for more details). There are two barbarian subclasses: the original barbarian, a primal striker, and Berserker, a primal and martial striker and defender. Class Traits The following traits are common to both original barbarians and berserkers: *'Weapon Proficiencies:' Simple melee, Military melee *'Bonus to Defenses:' Fortitude *'Hit Points:' 15 + Constitution score at 1st level, plus a set number each additional level *'Healing surges per Day:' 8 + Constitution modifier '''Characteristics:' As a barbarian, you combine powerful melee attacks with an excellent ability to absorb damage. You gain tremendous bursts of power through mighty rages. You have unusually high hit points for your role, making you more durable than other strikers. Religion: Most barbarians revere the primal spirits of the natural world rather than calling on the gods of the Astral Sea. Some barbarians don’t see conflict between the gods and the primal spirits and therefore honor deities of nature or warfare in addition to the primal spirits. These barbarians often revere Avandra, Kord, Melora, or the Raven Queen. Evil or chaotic evil barbarians turn to Gruumsh or, more rarely, Bane or Zehir. Races: Goliaths are ideal rageblood barbarians. Dragonborn make excellent thaneborn barbarians. Half-orcs are often barbarians but don’t favor either of the two types. Dwarf and Shifter barbarians tend to be rageblood barbarians, while Halfling and Half-elf barbarians choose the thaneborn path. Class Skills Original barbarians and berserkers are trained in any three skills from the barbarian class skill list: *Acrobatics (Dex) *Athletics (Str) *Endurance (Con) *Heal (Wis) *Intimidate (Cha) *Nature (Wis) *Perception (Wis) Original Barbarian The original barbarian is the subclass of barbarian introduced in the . It is sometimes referred to as "og-barbarian" or simply "barbarian". *'Role:' Striker. You use powerful two-handed weapons to deal serious damage to your enemies. Your physical power and daunting presence can cause foes to cower before you, and you can temporarily increase your abilities by harnessing great bursts of terrifying rage. Depending on your choice of class features and powers, you lean toward either defender or leader as a secondary role. *'Power source:' Primal. You are a primal champion, a warrior devoted to the natural world and an embodiment of your tribe’s fierce traditions. *'Key abilities:' Strength, Constitution, Charisma *'Armor proficiencies:' Cloth, leather, hide *'Build options:' Rageblood barbarian , Thaneborn barbarian , Thunderborn barbarian , Whirling barbarian . Barbarian Agility While you are not wearing heavy armor, you gain a set bonus to AC and Reflex. The bonus increases by one at 11th level at 21st level. Feral Might Barbarians connect with the natural world in a variety of ways. Some barbarians grow so hardened to physical punishment that they find it easier to simply absorb, rather than avoid, attacks. Others are living examples of the power of one’s will to shape one’s fate. Choose one of the following options. The choice you make gives you the benefit described below and also provides bonuses to certain barbarian powers, as detailed in those powers. Rage Strike Barbarian daily attack powers have the rage keyword. They allow you to unleash powerful bursts of emotion, willpower, and primal energy. Each rage power starts with a mighty attack, and then you enter a rage, which grants an ongoing benefit. At 5th level, you gain the Rage Strike power, which lets you channel an unused rage power into a devastating attack while you’re raging. Using rage strike is an alternative to using a second rage power in a climactic battle; it gives you the damage output of a daily power without forcing you to enter a different rage. Rampage Once per round, when you score a critical hit with a barbarian attack power, you can immediately make a melee basic attack as a free action. You do not have to attack the same target that you scored a critical hit against. Subclass: Berserker Berserker is the subclass of barbarian introduced in . Berserkers have dual power sources, primal and martial, and are considered both defenders and strikers as their roles. *'Role:' Defender and striker *'Power Source:' Martial and primal *'Key abilities:' Strength and Dexterity *'Armor Proficiencies:' Cloth, leather, hide, light shield Berserker Fury When you use a barbarian primal attack power, you enter berserker fury until the end of the encounter. Alternatively, you can use a minor action while you are bloodied to enter the fury. The fury has the following effects, * Your defender aura ''ends, if it was active, and you cannot use ''defender aura ''or vengeful guardian'' until the fury ends. * Some of your powers, such as your barbarian martial at-will attack powers, gain additional benefits, as noted in those powers. * Your melee basic attacks deal 1d8 extra damage. This extra damage increases to 2d8 at 11th level and 3d8 at 21st level. Defender Aura Berserkers with the Defender Aura class feature gain defender aura as an at-will utility power. Defender aura creates an aura 1 that penalizes unmarked enemy attack rolls against allies without a defender aura by −2. Heartland A berserker chooses one of the following terrain types and gains the corresponding benefits. Poised Defender Berserkers with the Poised Defender class feature gain a minor bonus to AC when their defender aura is active and they are not wearing heavy armor. Vengeful Guardian Berserkers with the Vengeful Guardian class feature gain vengeful guardian as an at-will attack power. Vengeful guardian can be used as an opportunity action triggered by enemies within the berserker's defender aura shift or attack an ally without a defender aura. Barbarian Powers Most barbarian powers, having primal power sources, are also called evocations. Some have a martial power source, and are also called exploits. Barbarian Feats These feats have the barbarian class, or hybrid/multiclass barbarian, as a prerequisite. Additional prerequisites are noted. For example, characters who multiclass into barbarian do not necessarily gain the -Thaneborn Triumph feature, so may not qualify for feats requiring that feature. Heroic Tier feats *Berserk Vitality (Berserker) *Blood Cousin's Tribe *Bloody Triumph (Thaneborn Triumph) *Brutal Reach *Deadly Rage *Eager Charger (Mul, Swift Charge power) *Elemental Barbarian (Genasi) *Fearsome Bloodlust (Thaneborn Triumph) *Fearsome Charge (Rageblood Vigor) *Hurl Weapon *Improved Rageblood Vigor (Rageblood Vigor) *Improved Roar of Triumph (Thaneborn Triumph) *Improvised Missile *Insatiable Rage of Minauros (Tiefling) *Inspiring Triumph (Dragonborn, Roar of Triumph power) *Radiant Rage *Raging Bloodcut *Raging Reach (Rage Strike) *Rising Fury *Roar of the Ancestors (Elf, Intimidate) *Ruthless Rampage (Rampage) *Swift Slayer (Whirling Slayer) *Targeted Assault *Thaneborn Fury (Thaneborn Triumph) *Thunderborn Rage (Thunderborn Wrath) *Whisper's Advice *Wrathful Recovery (Thaneborn Triumph) Paragon Tier feats * Angry Grandfather * Bloodthirsty Visage (Thaneborn Triumph) * Charging Rampage (Rampage) * Double Lunge (Whirling Lunge power) * Echoing Roar (Roar of Triumph power) * Explosive Rage Strike (Rage Strike power) * Rageblood Recovery (Rageblood Vigor) * Reckless Rage * Thaneborn Advance (Thaneborn Triumph) * Thirsty Blade * Thunderous Cry (War Cry power) * Violent Reminder (Rageblood Vigor) * Withering Roar (Thaneborn Triumph) Epic Tier feats * Enduring Rage (Rageblood Vigor) * Overpowering Charge * Slayer's Shift * Sweeping Blade * Thaneborn Conqueror (Thaneborn Triumph) Barbarian Paragon Paths Refer to the Barbarian section in the Paragon Path page or the Barbarian Paragon Paths category. Multiclass Barbarians Characters who did not start as barbarians and who do not already have a multiclass feat of a type other than multiclass barbarian may multiclass as barbarians by taking one of the following entry feats. In addition, each barbarian entry feat grants all of the following benefits: * The character counts as a barbarian, in addition to his or her original class, for the purpose of meeting prerequisites for feats, paragon paths, etc. * The character gains training in one skill of his or her choice from the barbarian class skill list: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Heal, Intimidate, Nature, or Perception. * The character may take Novice Power, Acolyte Power, and Adept Power feats to exchange powers for barbarian powers. * If the character takes a multiclass encounter, a multiclass utility, and a multiclass daily feat (such as Novice, Acolyte, and Adept Power), the character can paragon multiclass in barbarian instead of taking a paragon path. Paragon multiclassed barbarians select additional barbarian powers instead of paragon path powers. Hybrid Barbarians Any hybrid character can choose the Hybrid Barbarian class as one of its selected classes as detailed in ''Player's Handbook 3''. See Also * Dragon 380, Barbarian Essentials, page 26 - includes suggestions for builds. * ''Player's Option: Heroes of the Feywild'' * ''Player's Handbook 2'' Development The barbarian was released as a playtest in Dragon 368, PlayTest: Barbarian. The playtest version had the following notable differences: * ''Rage Strike'' was at-will instead of twice per day (although still depeleted a daily-use resource) and was available at level 1. * ''Howling Strike'' used to not provoke opportunity attacks. Changed to provide extra movement. * ''Stone Bear Rage'' resisted 3 + constitution modifier damage, changed to just constitution modifier. * Paragon Path Frenzied Berserker: ** Frenzied Blood feature cause damage on a miss. ''Player's Handbook 2'' no longer had the ability apply to attack that inflict damage on a miss. ** Deathless Frenzy changed to Immediate Interrupt. Clarifications were made in ''Player's Handbook 2'': * ''Blade Sweep'' implied that bloodied enemies took damage twice. The following Barbarian powers were renamed: * Great Leap -> ''Tiger's Leap'' * Inexorable Shift -> ''Indomitable Shift'' * Blood Frenzy -> ''Blood Wrath'' Appendix * Wizards RPG Team. (2009). Player's Handbook 2. Wizards of the Coast, pg.48 - 65. Retrieved on 2019-06-06. External Links * Forgotten Realms Wiki - Barbarian Category:Classes Category:Barbarians Category:Player's Handbook 2 Category:Strikers Category:Defenders Category:Primal Category:Martial